" The beautiful game" Football for Visually Impaired
The game of Football that has become the number one sport in the world, due to its simplicity and global appeal, is the most viewed sport across the Gulf region.
The games dubbed the ‘beautiful game’ is equally a popular sport in Oman and now the 'beautiful game' is widening its appeal to all walks of its society by introducing a football-like game, known as 'goal ball', aimed at the visually impaired.
This development is significant at a time when the World awaits the start of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa next month. The initiative taken by Oman is set to introduce a wider audience for the game.
Oman's National al-Hadaf (Goal ball) Team for the Blind aims to equip players with all the skills required to play the adapted version of football.
The game was originally designed for blind athletes in 1946 by Austrian Hanz Lorenzen and German Sepp Reindelle.
The game is played in a rectangular court measuring eighteen by nine meters.
Participants that are enthralled by the game compete in teams of three, and attempt to throw a ball that has bells embedded inside it into the opponents' goal.
Just like the cricket ball for the blind variety of the game, the ball in this version has bells inside it.
Thus sound of the bells help players judge the position and movement of the ball during games consisting of two 10-minute halves. Rules of the game are laid out by the International Federation of the Blind Sports (IBSA).
The sport that has become increasingly popular over the years has now become immensely popular.
The goal ball is now part of the Paralympics Games governed by the International Paralympics Committee (IPC).
There is a stringent regime that is followed by the players in Oman. Training for the capital Muscat’s team is intense, with two training sessions expected to be attended in the morning and evening respectively for players serious about participating in tournaments on international levels.
Goal ball player, Khamis Bin Mohammed al-Shaksy, said: "These exercises of course help us to strengthen the muscles in our arms and legs so that we can propel the ball and so we don't feel tired during the matches."
Goal ball Player Ahmed Bin Khalfan al-Himhami said: "Firstly, this ball is called a goal ball. The game is played mostly by hand. Three stand on the right like a triangle and three on the left. The player who is in the middle stands slightly forward to prevent any collision. Then the match starts by throwing the ball by hand from one side to other. Each half is ten minutes long, and there is a five minute break in the middle. Of course, the result is determined by the number of goals".
The Omani goal ball team now in its third year has taken part in several competitions outside including the 2010 Gulf tournament in Doha. Team members say they are now ready to set up their own league at home.
Meanwhile the Omani coach is keen to stress the importance of preparation in this niche sport.
Coach al-Owaidi said: "What we are lacking in the Sultanate is a tournament for this game. We hope that with God's help in the near future we will be able to hold a tournament for all blind people in Oman, so we can demonstrate the importance of physical activity for people with disabilities, be they blind, deaf or physically disabled. Goal ball games are fun and members from the whole community can join in with blind citizens by covering their eyes with a blind fold. We hope that in the near future we can hold a tournament and we want everyone to be successful at it".
"Exercises are divided into individual exercises and what are called dual exercises which are performed by two team-mates together. Also, there are warm-up exercises that must be performed to increase the level of the game," Owaidi added.
Goal ball allows sighted and partially sighted players to be blindfolded and to compete on an equal footing with fully blind players.
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